School Abuse Allegations Call For Urgent Inquiry Amidst Mounting Pressure
Ireland’s Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, has emphasized the urgent need to establish a commission of inquiry into historical school abuse allegations at Irish schools. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Gallagher noted that over half of the accused perpetrators have died, and many survivors are now in their later years, intensifying the need for immediate action.
A recent scoping inquiry revealed 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse involving 308 schools run by religious orders, with accusations against 884 distinct alleged abusers. In light of these findings, the inquiry has recommended that the government consider a redress scheme for survivors of abuse in both day and boarding schools. Gallagher stressed that such a scheme should be set up promptly, with religious orders contributing to compensate survivors.
Ms. Gallagher called for a more proactive approach to addressing dark chapters of Ireland’s past, similar to the swift response seen in other less significant matters. “It’s high time that we took a similar attitude to difficult parts of our history,” she said, underscoring the urgency of confronting the long-ignored abuses.
Gallagher also advocated for a broader inquiry that includes survivors from non-religious schools, arguing that all victims deserve recognition and justice. She noted that institutional defensiveness, particularly within Catholic Church-run schools, has long shielded these abuses from scrutiny. “We’ve started to overturn the rock and look at what’s underneath, and now it’s imperative that we get on with it,” she stated.
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Reflecting on past reports, including the Ferns, Murphy, and Cloyne reports, as well as revelations about Magdalene laundries and mother-and-baby homes, Gallagher acknowledged that while the findings of the latest inquiry are harrowing, they are not entirely surprising. “In some ways, this is not a surprise; it was there in plain sight,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Joseph Mooney, an expert in retrospective disclosures of childhood sexual abuse, highlighted the “extreme barriers” survivors face in coming forward. He noted that inquiries like this provide a crucial platform for survivors to safely share their experiences and seek justice.
The preliminary scoping inquiry’s results underscore a painful but necessary reckoning with Ireland’s history of child abuse in educational institutions, and the growing call for a comprehensive and immediate response aims to finally bring long-awaited justice to those who have suffered.
“One of the key factors in survivors disclosing abuse is feeling safe, having a supportive space, and knowing that they will be heard,” said Dr. Joseph Mooney, Assistant Professor at the School of Social Policy, Social Work, and Social Justice at University College Of Dublin. “Unfortunately, such spaces are often lacking in society, which contributes to the silence around these issues.”
Dr. Mooney highlighted that many survivors often feel isolated, believing they were the only ones affected, which further discourages them from coming forward. He explained that this sense of isolation is deeply rooted in the grooming dynamics experienced by many survivors.
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Discussing the proposed Commission of Inquiry into school abuse, Dr. Mooney emphasised that justice looks different for every survivor, and it is essential that the Commission is flexible and sensitive to these individual needs.
“Whatever form this inquiry takes, it’s crucial that it provides recognition—being heard, seen, and acknowledged—not just for those who are still with us, but also for those who have passed away,” he said, underscoring the importance of validating all survivors’ experiences, both past and present. He stressed that creating safe spaces and actively listening to survivors is a vital step toward healing and accountability.
